Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 1, 2026
Chronic, Acute, and Reactivated HIV Infection in Humanized Immunodeficient Mouse Models
Published on: December 3, 2019
Naïve/Effector CD4 T cell ratio as a useful predictive marker of immune reconstitution in late presenter HIV
Veronica Bordoni1, Bruno Brando2, Pierluca Piselli1
1INMI L. Spallanzani IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Insights
Identifying patients at risk for HIV immunological failure is crucial. The Naïve/Effector CD4 T cell ratio effectively predicts early immune recovery after antiretroviral treatment.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Late diagnosis of HIV infection necessitates identifying patients at risk for immunological failure.
- Effective antiretroviral therapy (cART) is vital for restoring immune homeostasis in HIV patients.
- Standardized flow cytometry can assess treatment effects and predict immune recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate easy cytometric tests for assessing cART's impact on immune homeostasis.
- To identify predictive markers for early immune recovery in HIV patients.
- To establish immunological protocols for risk stratification.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, multicentric study involving 202 chronic HIV-infected patients.
- Standardized flow cytometry panel to analyze immunological profiles before (w0) and after 24 weeks (w24) of cART.
- Patients categorized into late (LP), intermediate (IP), and early (EP) presenters based on baseline CD4 T cell counts.
Main Results:
- cART increased CD4 T cells, CD4/CD8 T cell ratio, and naïve T cells, while decreasing effector memory T cells and T cell activation.
- The Naïve/Effector CD4 T cell ratio (N/EM) at baseline predicted early immune recovery.
- In late presenters, a higher N/EM ratio at w0 correlated with better CD4 T cell recovery at w24.
Conclusions:
- An easy cytometric protocol can reliably characterize immune profiles in viremic HIV patients.
- The Naïve/Effector CD4 T cell ratio is a novel predictive marker for early immune reconstitution potential.
- This ratio aids clinicians in identifying patients likely to achieve robust immune recovery.
Abstract:
A significant proportion of HIV-infected patients experiencing a late diagnosis highlights the need to define immunological protocols able to help the clinicians in identifying patients at higher risk for immunological failure. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of easy cytometric tests in defining the effect of antiretroviral treatment (cART) on immunological homeostasis and in identifying predictive markers of early immune recovery. Chronic HIV infected patients (n = 202) were enrolled in a prospective multicentric study, and their immunological profile was studied before (w0) and after 24 weeks (w24) of antiretroviral treatment (cART) using a standardized flow cytometric panel. Based on CD4 T cell count before treatment, patients were divided in late (LP: CD4 <350/mmc), intermediate (IP: 350/mmc
